1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a tubular device for holding a plurality of similar objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A popular pastime for children is the collecting of discs known as "POGS".TM.. The POGS.TM. are flat circular discs having a standardized diameter of approximately 41 millimeters, and are generally fabricated of stiff cardboard or plastic. The thickness of each disc is about 1 millimeter, and at least one surface of the disc contains visibly distinctive indicia such as cartoon pictures.
The POGS.TM. are acquired by collectors either by purchase at stores or by winning in games played with other collectors. It is not unusual for a collector to have several hundred POGS.TM.. It has been found convenient to store the POGS.TM. in stacked array within tubular containers having removable end cap closures and having a holding capacity of 25 to 200 POGS.TM.. Most collectors prefer to group their POGS.TM. in a single container in accordance with some underlying theme, such as animal characters, flowers, fish, sports celebrities, motion picture celebrities, geographic scenes, historical depictions, etc. However, there has been no way of knowing the nature of the POGS.TM. within a container unless the collector places some sort of marking upon the exterior of the container. Also, none of the known containers suitable for POG.TM. storage interactively enhance the pastime.
Golf balls are often marketed in tubular packages containing several golf balls, the packaging permitting visual observation of the balls. It is desirable, however, to provide an option for personalized labeling of the packages. In situations where a message on the tubular packaging might obscure the balls it is desirable to have an open top to provide a clear view of the contents or additional copy space for easy-to-change messages within the tube. This is particularly important for tournament awards, where last minute names and winners can be placed within the case or on the ends of the case and appear as though they were always part of the award.
Tubular cylindrical containers for shipping and storage purposes are well known. Various types of closure caps for tubular containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,476,240; 3,749,277; 3,913,774; 3,986,659 and 5,052,578. None of the aforesaid closure means and their associated tubular containers, even if dimensioned to accommodate POGS.TM., are capable of displaying the contents of the container or providing interactive enhancement of the pastime. Some of the closure devices, although secure, are difficult to remove or replace.
Vertically elongated holders are well known for the desk top storage of pens and pencils in a ready-to-use manner. However, such devices usually are unsightly because of the random manner in which the pens and pencils are secured, and further lack versatility with respect to changeability of sidewall appearance, configuration of the opening, or the ability to add personalization.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a tubular container for storing and identifying a plurality of uniformly sized circular, spherical or elongated objects.
It is another object of this invention to enable the owner or vendor to associate an easily changed personal identification or special occasion message with the container of the foregoing object.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container of the aforesaid nature having one or two closure caps which are easily removed and re-installed.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a container of the aforesaid nature having game-playing functionality.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.